13. Juli 2010

Part 2: Frankfurt and Thinking Hard

Yesterday I arrived in a rather hot Frankfurt to a rather lovely hotel with, once again (good luck for me!) my own bathroom. Though I'm pretty sure the heater is turned on in there and I can't figure out how to turn it off. Anyway.

After returning to a normal hue rather than bright, sweaty pink, I ventured out to explore the main street through the Altstadt and get dinner. I bought a vest/dress/sweater that I've had my eye on at H&M since Kassel and had dinner at Frankfurt's only Ramen shop, since I'm really starting to miss New York. You could tell it's the only shop in Frankfurt. It was pretty good, but with not much more than noodles, and for 9 Euros, I wanted a little more pork and bamboo shoots. Nothing like Chinatown, or Rai Rai Ken on the East Side. And it was too clean - an actual restaurant. I'm aching for grungy ramen and chinese food restaurants, the kind where the tables are really shiny because the grease stopped coming out, where bowls big enough to feed 300 pound men cost 6 bucks, and where the Tsingtao is cold and cheap.

In all, I'm glad that Frankfurt is my last city rather than, say Heidelberg. Or even Munich. I really miss New York, and Frankfurt is the closest I've come to it. (Consequently, if I were to live in Germany, it'd either be Frankfurt or Berlin.) But that's the thing. I love Germany, but this trip has made me realize that, above all, my heart is in New York. There's just something about New York City that makes me feel totally alive. The energy is different. I think part of it has to do with the mix of cultures that's unique to America, especially the city. Everyone here is white, which is actually rather unsettling. There's more diversity in Frankfurt than the other cities that I've been too, but that's not really saying much. After white, blonde Germans there's a decent amount of Turkish, but they stay in their own districts for the most part. There doesn't seem to be a lot of mixing. I miss hearing 5 or more different languages on the way to school every morning, and street performers who are playing things other than American rock music on acoustic guitars. I miss taking trains at 2 AM and the possibility of eating food from a different country every day. I miss DINERS - I miss places where I can get coffee 24/7. I miss stores not being affected by religious holidays. I miss America, namely New York, plain and simple.

Not to say I'm not enjoying myself in Frankfurt. I had a rather lovely day. For one, since Frankfurt is like Wall Street, it's busting with attractive men in suits and dress clothes. =)
I spent most of today walking through the park that replaced the old city walls. How clever, and beautiful! I also saw an incredible statue of Goethe, with scenes from Werter and Faust carved into the sides. I had lunch outside of the Alte Oper, which is a grand stone building, and basically enjoyed being in a city. I also bought a couple of souvenirs - Toy Story auf Deutsch, and something special for my family that I'll reveal once we're together again. (In California most likely - my sister had her twins and, from the photos I've seen, they're beautiful! Congrats sis!)

Tomorrow I'm headed to Goethe's house, bumming around once more, having a last Wurst for dinner, and chilling by the river knitting, provided it's not too warm. I'm excited to be coming home!

To the last day here,

Prost!

Katharine

13. Juli 2010

Part 1: Heidelberg Castle and Europe Fail

Castles are totally worth all the hype. Even though nothing will ever be Hogwarts, regular, non-magical castles are still pretty bad ass. For one, Heidelberger Schloss was built during the late 1200's/early 1300's, withstood bombardment in the 30 years war and near total destruction in the 9 years war (damn Frenchmen) and was not harmed during WWII, and is totally safe to walk in today, thanks to some restoration during the Romantic Period.

Put simply, this place is a fortress. I mean, look how thick these walls are!
Also, Heidelberger Schloss is the home of Europe's largest wine casket (that's actually been used - France has one that's simply for decoration, but Heidelberg's was used 4 times), which can hold 58,100 gallons of wine. Yum!

I spent a good four hours at the Schloss and then headed back down to Heidelberg, but, planning fail: Sundays in small German towns are useless. With the exception of some cafes and restaurants, everything was closed, and while a cup of coffee and cake was nice, I wasn't about to spend my entire day eating and drinking. I'd pass out. So I went back to my room, made some phone calls, took a long hot shower, took a nap, and watched World Cup in the comfort of my bed. Holland lost. I was unenthused. I packed and went to bed.

Frankfurt is coming in a different post, just so things are nicely formatted. But here are some lovely pictures of Heidelberg!


Tschüss,
Katharine

10. Juli 2010

My trip is nearly at an end - 5 more days! I'm happy to be going home soon. 6 weeks is a long time to be gone, especially without bagels, bobos, and coffee shops that take credit cards. And I miss American money - good old American money that's all the same size and color and doesn't look like Monopoly money, and that has dollar bills instead of COINS. My wallet has never been so heavy, and I have a checkbook in my wallet in New York!

My last day in Munich was an array of emotions. I spent the first half of my day in Dachau, which was emotionally draining. Believe it or not, the Holocaust education I received in the U.S., which has no reason to dilute the truth, was nothing compared to going reading and seeing the information presented at Dachau. It was incredibly explicit, but I think that's important. And the experience of standing on that ground - of seeing the bunks where the prisoners slept, and walking through the crematorium - is harrowing in a way that I've never experienced before. The air in the rooms feels different. That very well might be psychological, but I don't think that over 30,000 people (recorded, that is) can be murdered without an alteration in the place is occurred. I don't understand how anyone lives in Dachau anymore. There's a whole street where the S.S. Officers used to live, and those are government buildings now. I find that disturbing.

After Dachau, I came back into Munich, took a last walk through the Altstadt, and had dinner at Hofbrauhaus. I had a lovely 2 hour dinner conversation with 2 young German men, who told me that my German was really good, especially considering how dreadful they said their English was. So I ended the day feeling pretty good about myself, and got a good night's sleep for my journey to Heidelberg.

Let me just say something. It's freaking HOT. Like 95 degrees and humid. And my train wasn't air conditioned. So I showed up in Heidelberg really sweaty and half dehydrated, made it to my Hotel, and, surprise, there's no reception. There's a door and a buzzer. So I rang the buzzer. Again. Again. No answer. I don't understand how there's no one on staff at 4 in the afternoon, but whatever. After ringing for 5 minutes, I looked at the door and there's a little piece of paper that says "Call this #." So I did, and I got my room key and such, but seriously, I'm lucky that I bought a phone and that I actually had some money on it. Otherwise I'd have had a heat stroke.

After a shower and a half hour spent cooling down, I took a walk through Heidelberg's Altstadt. Typisch Deutsch! Absolutely beautiful old buildings - this is a city with character! I'm a little upset I have only one full day here, but I'm making the most of tomorrow. I'm going to a castle and roaming until my feet can't bear it anymore. =)



Till then,
Katharine

8. Juli 2010

München

Let's just agree from the start to pretend that I don't care that Germany lost last night. I don't care that I went to the largest Beer Hall in Germany - Hofbrauhaus - and drank a liter of beer in order to see Germany lose their chance at the cup. After a record-breaking ass kicking of England and an incredible journey through the cup, I'll pretend to not care that they just didn't DO anything in yesterday's game. Okay?

In any case, here's me watching the game, photo courtesy of the Australian couple sitting next to me.

Aside from Germany's loss, I'm having a lovely time in Munich. Yesterday I mostly walked around the Altstadt and popped into a few buildings. Of particular interest is the Rathaus, a neo-Gothic building in the heart of Marienplatz, and which is, refreshingly open free to the public. I explored one of the ground floors but didn't get too carried away, seeing as it's a government building and my German isn't that good. There's a cafe in the courtyard, which is a neat idea but it's really expensive (like a lot of things in this city...), and for 2 Euros I took an elevator ride up the tower and got a pretty lovely view of central Munich. I stuck around till eleven, when there was a Glockenspiel performance, complete with moving figurines in the tower. (Basically, it's the world's most kickass cuckoo clock.)
After the Rathaus, I simply explored. I stopped by the fresh markets and bought 2 pounds of fruit for 4 Euros, which was lunch. I went to the Englisch Garten, which is basically Central Park (and the surrounding neighborhood is pretty much the Upper East Side of Munich). The whole night, beginning at 6:30, was devoted to Weltmeisterschaft and Beer. Jawohl =).

Today I started in the Altstadt again, and then made my way to the Olympic Park, where Munich hosted the Olympics in the 1970's. Like Berlin, there's an admission fee for the stadium, and I don't care so much about the interior, so I just spent a couple of hours in the park. I took some pure mammalian pleasure and fell asleep in the shade for an hour. Perfect.


Other than that, just a lot of wandering around and sitting in pretty parks. I'm almost done with the body of my sweater! Tomorrow I think I'm taking a trip out to Dachau, which will be sobering, to say the least. But I think it's important.

Bis Morgen,
Katharine

6. Juli 2010

Day Three, Berlin

Catching up...

After forgetting to set my alarm, I woke up slightly late (8:30, not THAT late) but later than I intended. I breakfasted at 9 and headed out around quarter to 10. First stop was a trip a little out of central Berlin, to the Olympia Stadion where, in the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens kicked some Nazi ass and showed up Hitler by winning 4 medals. It was really eerie to be in a place that was designed to propagate the idea of Aryan superiority.

I only saw the outside because, honestly, I didn't see the point in paying 4 Euros to see the inside of a stadium. So I hopped back on the U-Bahn and headed to the Deutsche Guggenheim, which I was actually rather disappointed with. For one thing it's tiny, so there's no permanent collection. It's basically an exhibition space, and the exhibit turned out to be abstract protest films from India. I enjoyed reading the texts that went along with the films, but the films themselves were wasted on me. Not to say they weren't good, I just didn't understand, and didn't have the patience to watch flashing images of abandoned factories. But I ended up learning a lot about the lack of human rights in Burma, so I guess it wasn't for nothing.

Another benefit was that, by wandering around Berlin Mitte after the Guggenheim, I stumbled upon the Französische Dom and Tower, which are hardly on the map I have. They were built by French Hugenots, and while the church was closed, for 2 Euro 50, which is cheaper than admission to the Olympia Stadion, I was able to climb to the top of the tower and have a beautiful glimpse of Berlin.

Französische Dom

After the Tower, I headed back the Nikolai Viertel to get another good look around, including the Nikolai Kirche. I managed to snap a few photos of the interior from the foyer before someone told me that I needed to pay to enter the church. Oops.

After this, I went back to Prenzlauerberg, since I love it so much, and got a cup of coffee at an ice cream shop that sells home made ice cream. Delicious! And cheap - my coffee was 1,50, was delicious and strong, and even came with a glass of water that good strong coffee is supposed to come with. I was tempted by many shops, but I don't have room in my suitcase, nor the muscle strength to lug everything to Munich, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt with me! But I stumbled upon (literally, it's not on my map and wasn't in my guidebook) the Berlin Wall Park, which I find to be, yet again, a very poignant recognition of Berlin's past.


On my way back to the Pension, I walked through Tiergarten, saw the Schloss where Angela Merkel, as President of Germany, lives (named Bellevue, coincidentally), and saw my first nude sunbather. Then I picked up some Chinese - cheap comfort food! - ate it in the comfort of my room, packed, and slept for a solid 8 hours. It was tough to say goodbye to Berlin this morning. It's a great city! But at the same time, I was ready for Munich. I caught my 9:52 AM express train and was in Munich by 4:30.

I'll update on Munich tomorrow. I didn't do a whole lot today besides wander around the Altstadt. Time to finish unpacking, do some knitting, and call it a night. Bis Morgen!

Katharine

5. Juli 2010

Day 2, Berlin.

After precious little sleep, I started my day by exploring some of the Nikolai Viertel, which was a well preserved medieval city until it was bombed in WWII. Now it's fully restored, some buildings in the older style, and some basic, concrete buildings.

Rathouse (Parliament)

After which I walked west for a big, saw Museum Insel (Museum Island) and the Brandenburg Tor once more. I decided against museum visiting, since I'd have to pay 12 Euros, and I wasn't particularly interested on anything featured. Plus, a gorgeous day in Berlin - why stay inside?

Berliner Dom

When the heat got a little much, I visited the Holocaust Memorial. I think they did a really excellent job with it. The outside is a ton of these pillars of all different sizes, and the walking through them - it's like a concrete hedge maze - is really powerful. They start out small and somewhat insignificant, but as you delve into the middle of the memorial, the pillars tower above you, and it's very intimidating and claustrophobic. For me, anyway. There were a ton of kids - 10 and 12 year olds -  who were playing tag inside. In general, Germany seems to be doing a damn respectable job of living up to their past. There's no atoning for the Holocaust, obviously, but Germans seem very upfront about it, and are certainly trying to make sure no one forgets that it happened. Which is why I felt it was important for me to visit this. It was upsetting, certainly, but it'd be obtuse to just wander around Germany all "la-di-da, beer and meat" without acknowledging the history.

I finished off the day with a tentative journey into East Berlin (at the recommendation of both Betsy from the Hunter Honors Office and my host family). And may I say, Prenzlauer Berg, which is a district in East Berlin, is amazing. If I were to move anywhere in Germany, based on my experiences thus far, it'd be here. It's so many good things at once. It has a mix of old architecture (pre war) and communist architecture that's been painted bright colors in order to make the concrete seem less dead, and there are flowers and plants everywhere. Basically, it's cozy, artsy, and youthful. Everyone is really friendly, there are record shops and cafes with armchairs outside every couple of storefronts, and everything is independently owned. I'm in love, basically.

(Sorry this is a bit late - have been doing a lot and coming home and sleeping.)

Tschüss,
Katharine

4. Juli 2010

(Again)

The Pension staff thinks it was a bat (they're a lot bigger here) and not a rat, since they can't find anything here, though some light objects were definitely moved (a napkin, for example,) and considering I started crying they actually believed me. They put me in a suite with a queen sized bed and a private toilet on the ground floor, where bats can't get in. And now I don't have to use the lift, which is, coincidentally, now pitch black because the light bulb burned out. I took a nap and I feel a little better. I think East Berlin and some good coffee will certainly help.

Bis bald, dann.

Katharine

4. Juli 2010

Happy early July 4th!

I have a lot of good things to say about Berlin, but right now, it's 3:30 AM, and the only thing on my mind is that THERE'S A FREAKING RAT IN MY ROOM. I woke up at 1 in the morning (after a measly 1.5 hours of sleep) to scampering, and when I looked at the ceiling, something big and black ran across it. I DID NOT KNOW THAT RATS CAN RUN ON CEILINGS. I ran out of my room and downstairs, but since I'm staying in a Pension and not a Hotel, there's no front desk, just an office. And there's no one there. I'm sorry, but god forbid someone injured themselves or needed serious help at this hour, and there's no one there?

(I'm currently holed up in the bathroom of my room. Thankfully I have my own bathroom. I don't know what I'd do otherwise. Although it's freaking HOT in here.)

So since there was no one downstairs, I walked outside to see if the bar next door was still open. Naturally no. I walked a little further and saw a 24 hour Currywurst place which is, of course, next to a 24 hour sex shop with prostitutes outside. So I grabbed a coffee there quickly, but didn't want to stick around. So I came back to my room and sat quietly on my bed for a while. Then I heard clanking. THE RAT IS IN THE RADIATOR. IN THE FREAKING RADIATOR. And it was probably there last night too and I just DIDN'T KNOW IT. OH MY GOD. Where is it leaving its bodily wastes???? And what if it touched my stuff while I was gone?! I have 40 Euros worth of Merino Wool sitting on the table! GOD DAMN IT! This is rather unsettling...

(One of the many reasons why New York is the best city in the world - there are 24 hour diners on every block, so when shit like this happens, there's refuge to be had.)

I guess since I'm stuck in here for like 3 more hours I'll write about the amazing day I had.

I woke up at 8:00, showered (in a real shower! In Kassel, my bathroom just had a tub and a shower wand, without a curtain, which was weird,) and ate my breakfast at the Pension, which is included in the price of the room (woohoo!). At about 9:30 I headed out and took the U-Bahn for the first time. It's pretty neat, but I don't like it as much as the NYC Subway. For one thing, the cars aren't air conditioned, and it was over 90 degrees today. Also, the trains are about 1/3 the length of the platform (like the G train, for those who are familiar). I just think that's silly. If the trains are going to be so short, why make the platforms so long? But anyway, it's quick and clean, so it does what it's supposed to. Plus there are two different stations for two different train lines near my Pension, so that's convenient. I took the train a couple of stops and then walked to Schloss Charlottenburg, the old "summer estate" of Mad King Ludwig.



The Schloss Garten was free to enter and wander around, so I did that rather than pay 12 Euros to tour more Royal Apartments (I saw plenty in Kassel. There's only so much silk wallpaper that one can see.) I stayed in the Garten - which was nice and shady! - until about 11 and then ventured out into the city again. I went to The Berggruen Museum, which is connected to two other buildings that I can't remember the name of. The Berggruen Museum had a lot of Picasso and Matisse, both of whom I like, so that was worth the 12 Euros to begin with. And THEN, in the other building, there was an excellent Surrealist exhibit and in the last building, a LOUISE BOURGEOUIS EXHIBIT! (For those of you who don't know me too well, I'm in love with her.) I got to see some sculptures that I saw at the Guggenheim Retrospective, but also a lot of new pieces. There's this great sewn and stuffed sculpture that she did called "Woman," which is the bald, naked torso of a woman attached to a mattress with a vaginal opening - and she made it when she was like 90.

After the Museum, I ate lunch in the Museum Cafe for 4,5 Euros.
Eine Tomatentasche mit Kaffee. Yum!

I timed it so that I left the museum around 1, which took away from some time in the heat, thankfully. I took the train south a little to Katharinenstrasse, simply so I could take a picture of it, and then headed back to Berlin Mitte to catch the game. I was going to go to Strasse des 17. Juni, where 500,000 people go to watch the game, but I decided that, alone, it wouldn't be my cup of tea. So I followed two guys wearing German flags as capes and ended up northward. They went to a party, but I found an Indian restaurant on a street where every restaurant had a TV outside so people could watch the game. I ate some damn good Samosas, drank two beers, and enjoyed watching Deutschland "schlag" Argentina. Then the whole city celebrated - car horns, vuvuzelas, and cheers and songs. It was pretty exciting! It seems like Germany has a really good shot at Weltmeisterschaft now!

And then there was this:



A Bier Bike. Those things shouldn't go together, but they did. (It's a bar in the middle of this thing, and all of the patrons pedal.)

I hear birds. Almost time for me to flip out about the rat.

Tschüss dann,

(A very sleepy) Katharine

2. Juli 2010

Schon fertig mit meinen Klassen! Und jetzt beginnt Urlaub!

Ich fahre nach Berlin um 15:54! Ich bin total aufgeregt. Ich mag Kassel, aber ich vermisse die Stadt.

Ich schreibe mehr später. Tschüss, Kassel!

Katharine

29. Juni 2010

Fast Juli O_O.

Findings:

German standards of beauty are very much blonde.
Schokolade Keks - butter biscuits covered in chocolate - are highly addictive.
It's commonplace for German houses to be twice as old as the entire United States of America.
Germans, despite whatever negative things they say about America, love blue jeans, McDonalds, American music, TV, films, and pop culture. 95% of the movies on sale in any store are American, and all, regardless of their country of origin, have American soundtracks.
Fußball takes priority over efficiency when the Deutsche Elf are playing
Germans love cats.
European cheese trumps ALL American cheese.
The stereotype about Germans, socks, and sandals is entirely true.
HARIBO/KINDER/MILKA/RITTER! (Though I can't find my favorite Ritter Square anywhere...)
Hall Münden is a perfect place - my host family and I took a trip by car there on Sunday. Like Marburg but quainter, and on two different rivers.
German News > American News
Til Schweiger!
A girl who lives near me rides a unicycle to the Straßebahn every day. Uphill.
Germans have conservative flush toilets but only drink bottled water.

25. Juni 2010

Schon drei Woche! Meine Reise is schon halb fertig...

Gestern habe ich ein bisschen schöne Merino Wolle gekauft. Es war sehr billig - billiger als amerikanische Wolle. 1200 m Wolle, eine 3.5 80cm Nadel, 18 Knöpfe, und eine Garnnadel kosten nur 50 Euro. Genau! Ich habe 2 oder 3 cm des Pullis gestrickt. Fotos kommt bald!

Meiste Studenten aus New York fliegen nach New York morgen. Deshalb bin ich fast allein hier nächste Woche. Ich werde sie vermissen, aber ich bin aufgeregt, in die Orangerie und meine Gastfamilies Garten zu faulenzen.

U.S.A UND DEUTSCHLAND SIND NOCH IN DIE WELTMEISTERSCHAFT! JAWOHL!

Prost,

Katharine

--


3 weeks down already! My trip is already half over...

I bought some gorgeous Merino wool yesterday for REALLY cheap (compared to American prices.) 1200 meters of wool, a 3.5 mm, 80cm knitting needle, 18 buttons, and a tapestry needle only cost me 50 Euros! Excellent! I've got an inch of a sweater done, and I'll upload pictures when I get a chance.

Most of the students here from New York are leaving tomorrow, which means I'll largely be on my own next week. I'll miss the company, but I'm excited to just lounge around knitting, reading, and drinking coffee in the Orangerie and my host family's garden.

AND both the U.S. and Germany are into the next round of World Cup! WOO HOO!

To the weekend,

Katharine

24. Juni 2010

Ich habe eine blonde Perücke gefunden.

21. Juni 2010

Ein schöner Vaters Tag und glücklicher Sommer!

Am Samstag bin ich nach Marburg gegangen. Ach, Marburg! Was für eine schöne Stadt! Alle die Gebäude sind sehr alt - viele sind 400 oder 500 Jahre alt - und die Elisabethkirche, die die erste gothische Kirche in Deutschland ist, ist 700 Jahre alt. Alle die Straße sind eng und hübsch, and es gibt viele Geschäften und Cafes. Eine sehr idyllische Stadt. Ich bin verliebt in Marburg!



Haspelstraße ist vielleicht in diesem Bild...

Es ist sehr kalt in Deutschland - 16 Grad, 60-65 Fahrenheit. Ich mag es - ich hasse heißes Wetter. Alles ist Perfekt, obwohl ich meine Freunden und Familie vermisse. Höffentlich alles gehen gut in New York!

Liebe,
Katharine


--


Happy Father's Day and Happy Summer!

I went to Marburg on Saturday - ah Marburg! What a beautiful city! All of the buildings are very old, most 400 or 500 years old, and the Elisabethkirche, the first Gothic church in Germany, is 700 years old. All of the streets are narrow and cute, and there are many shops and cafes. An idyllic city! I'm in love with Marburg.

It's very cold in Germany, 16 degrees C, or around 65 Fahrenheit. I like it - I hate hot weather. Everything's perfect, except I miss my friend and family! I hope everything's going well in New York.

Love Katharine

18. Juni 2010

Ein Test um 12:00.

Deutschland gegen Serbia um 13:30.

=)

Schönes Wochenende!

- Katharine

17. Juni 2010

First of all, Happy Bloomsday yesterday!

My second week is coming to an end already. So strange.

On Tuesday, we went to Schloss Wilhelmstal, which is a preserved palace from the mid 1700s. Quite interesting (and gorgeous!) Kaitlyn and I kept saying it felt like Pemberley! A photo:
Then, last night, Professor Kuhn-Osius had a party at his apartment, complete with amazing food and German beer. I tried Blutwurst, which I thought I'd never do, and I ate a raw pork sandwich, which I WISH one could do in America. It's delicious, but since American meat is raised in such awful conditions, there's far too much risk of illness. I will certainly be eating more raw meat while I'm here.

As a side note, I've discovered that Parmalat and the like never need to be refrigerated. Nor do eggs. Also, Germans think that all Americans speak like people from The Dukes of Hazzard, and I've watched more American detective shows - dubbed of course - in Germany than I ever have back home.

In terms of education, I'm mostly learning German conjunctions. (Through experience, I also learned that "an der Strassebahn" and "in der Strassebahn" are two completely different phrases. Oops.) My vocabulary is expanding greatly, and I'm becoming more confident in speaking. In spite of this, I only have time to write this post in English at the moment. Having limited internet access can be a drag sometimes. I don't care too much though - there's too much to do here rather than stay cooped up inside on Facebook all day. I'll translate soon!

Jägerbuch fans: look forward to a post after this weekend detailing a trip to Marburg! I'm on the hunt for Rudi Zögelmann!

Tschüss,
Katharine

14. Juni 2010

Ich habe es nicht geplant, aber ich bin in Deutschland für die Weltmeisterschaft. Und Deutschland ist gut! Ich habe gestern seinen ersten Sieg zugesehen und habe für 2 Stunde gehört, alle die Autos an der Bahn zu hupen. Es ist ganz aufregend. Ich habe auch in einer Irischer Kneipe die USA gegen England Spiel. Es war sheußlich auch aufregend! Ich bin glücklich, dass die zwei Teams, die ich mag, die erste Spiele gewonnen hat!

Also, gestern ist mein Gastfamilies Enkelkind aus Köln gekommen. Sie ist eine HÜBSCHE zwei-Jahre-Älter, und wir können wirklich zusammen sprechen. Ich hat Käse für Abendsessen geschnitten, und sie hat mir gefragt, "Was machst du?" Ich habe geantwortet "Ich schneide Käse! Möchtest due ein Stuck?" und sie hat glücklich ein Stuck genommen. Dann hat sie mich ein Stuck Apfel gegeben. Es war auch hübsch zuzusehen, sie alle die Käse aus ihre Aubergine Lasagne entgenommen.

Ich habe gestern eine ganze Kapitel von "Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen" gelesen und ich habe jetzt ein bisschen Farbe in meiner Haut. Ich habe auch mit meiner Gastmutter und ihrer Freundin einen Spaziergang durch die Schlosspark gemacht.

Ein schönes Wochenende. Und höffentlich ein zweitere gute Woche!

Tschüss,
Katharine

--

So I didn't plan it, but I'm in Germany for World Cup. And Germany is GOOD! I watched their first win yesterday and listened to car honks on the highway for 2 hours thereafter. It's pretty exciting. I also watched the USA tie England in an Irish Pub, which was surprisingly exciting! I'm glad the two teams I care about at least made it past the first round!

In other news, my host family's Enkelkind came from Köln yesterday. She is an ADORABLE 2 year old, and we can actually talk to each other. I was cutting cheese for dinner yesterday and she came up to me and said "Was machst du?" and I said "Ich schneide Käse! Möchtest du ein Stuck?" and then she very happily took a piece. Then she gave me an apple slice. It was also rather cute to watch her eat all of the cheese out of her piece of Eggplant (Aubergine) Lasagna.

I read a full chapter of Harry Potter und die Stein der Weisen yesterday and got a little bit of color in my skin. I also went on a walk with my host mother and a friend of hers through the Schlosspark.

All in all, a lovely weekend. Here's looking at another great week!

Tschüss,
Katharine

11. Juni 2010

Freitag!

Die erste Woche ist so schnell gegangen! Ich glaube es nicht.

Ich habe nicht viel zu schreiben. Ich arbeite mehr als spielen =P.

Es ist immer hell hier, trotzdem der Regen. Der Sonne scheint bis 22 Uhr, und es scheint, wenn ich aufwecke (6.15). Es ist seltsam - nicht wie New York.

Alles für jetzt - Ich schreibe noch einmal nach der Wochenende.

Tschüss,

Katharine

--

Friday!

The first week went by so quickly! I can't believe it!

I don't have very much to write. I work more than I play =P.

It's always light here. The sun stays out until 10PM and is up when I wake up at 6:30. It's so strange - nothing like New York.

That's all for now - I'll write again after the weekend.

Tschüss

Katharine

10. Juni 2010

Wir sind gestern zu die Herkules Monument gegangen. Es war ganz schön. Es gibt am Mittwochs und Sonntags am Monument ein Waterspiel, so wir haben das Wasser gesehen. Von dem Berggipfel kann man alle zum Kassel sehen.

Es war heiß und schwül, aber wir hatten Spaß. Wir sind zu Boden des Bergs gelauft, and wir haben viele schöne Dinge gesehen. Diese Brücke ist idyllische!

Klasse geht noch gut. Wir lernen jetzt über Konjunktionen und Adverbien. Sie sind ein bisschen schwer, weil sie neu sind. Ich denke, dass ich sie bald verstehen werde.

Wir mussten auch eine schwere Setz sagen – Das tschechisches Kätzchen sitzt in einem chinesisches Kästchen an einem chilenisches Tischchen und frisst eine amerikanisches Mauschen. Na ja.

Alles geht gut! =)

-Katharine

--

We went to the Hercules Monument yesterday, which is at the highest point in Kassel. It was gorgeous! On Mondays and Sonntags they turn the water on, and so it’s basically a giant waterfall. From the top, one can see all of Kassel.

It was hot and humid, but we had fun. We walked from the top to the bottom of the mountain, and there were so many pretty things along the way! This bridge is so idyllic.

Classes are going well! We're learning conjunctions and adverbs right now, which are difficult, but only because they're new. I think I'll understand soon.

We also had a very difficult tongue twister: Das tschechisches Kätzchen sitzt in einem chinesisches Kästchen an einem chilenisches Tischchen und frisst eine amerikanisches Mauschen. Ugh.

Everything's going well! =)

-Katharine

Tage Eins und Zwei

Hallo!

Alles geht ausgezeichnet! Nach fünf hektische Stunde am Frankfurt Flughof - ich möchte über sie nicht sprechen - bin ich am endlich in Kassel angekommen, und ich bin mit Deutschem Kuchen und Tee willkommen. Meine Gastfamilie ist sehr nett, und ich kann wirklich viel versetehen, aber sie haben mir gefragt, was ich habe gedacht über die BP Öl Tragödie, und ich konnte nicht sehr viel darüber auf Deutsch gesprochen. Und sie haben eine Katze! Eine Katze mit drei Beine, die ganz liebevoll ist. Sie leckt! Ganz seltsam, aber trostreich.

Ich denke, dass meine Deutsch schon besser ist. Ich lese ein bisschen der Zeitung jedem Tag, ich spreche mit den Geschäftsinhaber auf Deutsch. Meine Klasse und meine Gespräche mit meine Gastfamilie sind alles auf Deutsch. Ich lerne mich Kassel auskennen. Die Strassebahn ist ganz toll! Sie ist stiller als die Subway.

Ich schreibe in kurze Zeit in die Pause zwischen meine Klassen. Ich habe Internet nur in das DIALOG Institut. Ich bin so beschäftig, dass ich habe vergisst, dass ich meine Gastfamilie über die Internet fragen muß. Aber ich musste ein bisschen schreiben - ich wollte es sehr - und so es gibt dieses Blog. Ich denke, dass ich in Microsoft Wort schreiben werde, und dann ich kann meine Blog transferieren. Und dann kann ich mehr auf Deutsch schreiben. Jawohl!

Bis später,
Katharine





Hello all!
Everything is going so well! After a hectic 5 hours at Frankfurt Airport (I'm not talking about it) I arrived in Kassel to German cake and tea. My host parents are really nice and I can actually understand a lot of what they're saying, though trying to talk about my opinions on the BP Oil Spill in German is incredibly difficult. And they have a cat! A three-legged cat that actually licks - very strange, but comforting.

I already feel like my German is improving. I'm reading a bit of the newspaper every day, speaking German with all of the shopkeepers and such, and all of my classes and conversation at home is in German. And I'm figuring out my way around. The Strassebahn is totally awesome - more quiet than the subway!

I'm writing this post briefly in my break between classes - the DIALOG Institut is the only place I have internet right now. I've been so busy that I keep forgetting to ask my guest family about it. But I needed to write something - I've been anxious to - and so there's this, for now. I think I'll start writing in Microsoft Word and then importing my posts. And then I can write more German. Jawohl!

Until later,
Katharine

Zwei Tage...

Making some preparations:

My friend who studied in England last semester has a Vodafone, which she has generously agreed to lend me for my trip. All I have to do is buy a German SIM card (SIMkarte, incidentally) once I get to Frankfurt. I'm writing down the necessary phrases:

"Bitte, ich habe ein Handy mit einer U.K. SIMkarte - ich brauche eine Deutsche SIMkarte. Kann ich jetzt Gelad an mein Handy beitragen? Wie viel kostet man, Amerika zu telefonieren?"

Und so weiter, und so weiter. I'm also writing down the necessary phrases it'll take for me to get to Kassel in one piece. Fingers crossed.

Packing is going well. My goal of one suitcase seems within reach, though I'm packing an extra bag for all of the steins and pint glasses I'll be acquiring as souvenirs/gifts. I've packed 7 dresses, 6 tank tops, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, some cardigans, and some stockings. It seems like very little, but you actually need very little to get on. Plus, it's Europe. I'll feel like I missed something if I don't indulge in some clothes shopping. Especially when my trip is paid for. =)

More packing and prep tomorrow, and a last (!) dinner with my family. Then a good nights sleep and JFK at 6 or so on Saturday. It's coming so quickly! No time for second guesses, I guess.

The way is clear
The light is good
I have no fear,
Nor no one should

(and who can tell
What's waiting on the journey?)

Love Katharine (loves Sondheim)

Fast da...

15 days until I leave!!

I've heard from my host family - The Krämers - who live relatively close to the DIALOG institut. Google maps tells me it's a 52 minute walk from their door to the school, so the bus ride should be maybe 15 minutes. Excellent! Their email to me was quite enthusiastic, also, so I'm very content to be spending a month with them.

An excerpt that is proving VERY useful for my planning:

"Im Juni zeigt sich hoffentlich auch endlich der Sommer. Zur Zeit ist es hier herbstlich kalt, es regnet viel und die Natur und die Menschen sehnen sich nach Wärme!"

Which means:

"Hopefully summer will finally come in June. Recently it's been unusually cold - it rains often and the plants and the people are looking forward to warmth!"

Which really means that I'll be packing a few cardigans and an umbrella. I'm happy with the forecast though - I'm not a fan of hot weather, and I'll be grateful to get away from the Urban Heat Island that is New York City for a bit.

Since finals are finished, I can really begin to focus on preparing myself language wise. I bought a copy of Kafka's short stories in German, just to keep myself in practice. I don't want to be rusty when I get there. Maybe it's time for some German movie watching, sans subtitles if I can. Das Leben der Anderen, anyone?

Tschüss!

- Katharine

I'm not in Germany, yet

I'm planning and waiting. I've purchased my flight ticket, my rail pass, and I've made my guest house reservations. I'm making packing lists in my head, trying to figure out how lightly I can travel while still being able to clothe myself. I'm practicing my German. I'm waiting. My departure weighs heavily on everything else I'm doing. As such, I procrastinate, in part by creating this blog 28 days before I leave.

Yes, I am counting the days.

The Plan:

I will be studying in Kassel, Germany for a month, through a cheap but excellent program run by my home college, Hunter College. I have, gratefully, received funding for my trip from the Macaulay Honors College - a whopping $3,400 dollars, which takes care of airfare and my rail pass, among other expenses. I will be chronicling my studying and living experiences with the DIALOG Institut and my host family, respectively.

After my program ends on July 2nd, I'm on my own. I will be putting myself to the test and spending the next 13 days in Germany on my own, traveling from Kassel to Berlin, then on to Munich, then Heidelberg, ending in Frankfurt. The "on my own" part is frightening but exciting - I get to explore my ancestral country at my leisure. Jawohl!

I can't say much more as to the future contents of this blog; it pretty much depends on what Germany decides to throw at me.

Ich kann alles ertragen. =)

Tschüss!

- Katharine